Five Things Friday!

Hello everyone!
I missed {Five Things Friday} last week because things got a little busy with my work schedule.  This week I'm back with another round of things I'm loving this week. 

{One} {Three} {Five}

{One}.  Bath & Body Works Spiced Pumpkin Cider Candle.  I am in L.O.V.E with this candle.  I always have candles scattered around my house and in the fall and winter they're lit pretty much all the time.  I don't usually shop at Bath & Body Works but I went in there the other day with one of my friends and fell in love with the scent of this candle.  Fall is my favorite time of year and this candle seems to embody everything that I love about the season! Not too overpowering and long lasting.  I'm going back for more next time they have a sale on, don't tell my husband!

{Two}.  Recollections Halloween Themed Washi.  I have been stalking my local Michaels for some Halloween washi, it's gotten a bit creepy actually, but I finally found it!  I picked up a couple of packages and can't wait to put them to good use in my {ECLP}. 

{Three}.  Dymo Personal Label Maker.  I was at Target last week and was wandering around the stationary aisles and saw this label maker.  I didn't pick it up then but have been thinking about all the great things I could label with it ever since.  Last night after a very long shift at work I went out for a little retail therapy and this baby ended up in my cart.  I got it while it was on a great sale and will be putting it to good use soon!

{Four}.  Starbucks Iced Passion Tea Lemonade.  This is my favorite go-to summer drink! We've been having some really great, sunny weather lately and I have been loving it.  It's been too hot for my usual Starbucks beverages so I've gone back to my ole faithful.  Passion Tea is my favorite tea that Starbucks carries.  You can buy it hot or cold and even buy tins of it to make it at home. 

{Five}.  Wall Mounted Metal Anchor.  Remember that retail therapy I talked about?  I also picked up this gem at Target.  We're a seafaring family so anything nautical wins in my books.  I'm going to hang this in my living room beside a piece of ships wheel art that I picked up at Homegoods. 

My Favorite Etsy Shops for ECLP Products!

My first Etsy purchase was over two years ago.  I purchased a custom hanger for my wedding dress from an adorable shop that did an AMAZING job on it.  Ever since then I've been hooked!  I love that you can usually always find whatever your looking for and if you can't, you can always find someone to customize it for you!

Ever Since I got my {Erin Condren Life Planner} I have been shopping on Etsy more and more.  Today my mailman woke me up after working a night shift to deliver three packages.  He told me that my husband and I get more mail than any other young couple he delivers to.  He sounded kinda miffed about it.  Oh well, he obviously doesn't have an ECLP to shop for!!

These are some of the Etsy shops that I've been loving and shopping at lately! (In no particular order). 

{One}  Karolinas Krafts.  This shop offers washi shapes, washi samples, paper/binder clips, and lots of stickers! Some sticker options include: nail polish, lipstick, whales, shopping carts, weights, TV, pills, popcorn, sports, chores, pay day/bills, coffee, dentist and SO many more!

{Two} My Queen Bee Designs.  This is one of the shops that I've ordered from most often.  I have placed several orders for washi squares that fit the weekly boxes of my ECLP and have loved every order.  I also ordered a sample pack that came with a little bit of everything you need for your planner such as washi shapes, stickers and washi squares.

{Three} Silent Poetry Arts This is one of my absolute favorite shops.  The selection of washi is unbelievable and the quality is excellent. The shop also carries washi tape dispensers, treat bags, bakers twine, elastic and some lip scrubs.  Silent Poetry Arts also has a monthly washi box sale that is offered on Instagram.  There are only 20 boxes available and its such a great deal.  This month it sold out in 20 seconds and I was lucky enough to score one.  I can't wait for it to arrive.  I have received a monthly washi box before and was very happy. 

{Four} Planner Kate This is another great Etsy shop that I've recently made some purchases from.  They sell pre-cut washi strips that fit the boxes in the {ECLP} perfectly.  They are sold in packages based on color or theme. This Etsy shop has also started listing some monthly themed kits giving you everything you need to decorate you planner for the entire month!

{Five} Krissyanne Designs I ordered some stickers from this Etsy Shop and love them.  They are small colored stickers which are perfect in my {ECLP} because they don't take up much room.  I use them for things I need to be aware of, like the end of my pay period, but don't need to be super prevalent in my planner.  This shop also lots of different types of stickers for your planner and also carries lots of other items such as key chains and monogramed items as well. 

{Six} Loollipop This is the first store I ever purchased washi from and where the slippery slope began.  I like the large selection of washi and that they offer great shipping rates to Canada which can sometimes be the difference between a purchase or not on Etsy.  Always fast to ship and adorably packaged this shop will always be one of my favorites.  They also offer paper straws, favor bags, bakers twine, and party tableware. 

Here is a list of some of my Instagram Followers favorite shops and some shops I've been eyeing items from lately:
Donkerrood
Yellow Paper House
Pretty and Planned
Southern Haute
LadyendeVagehond 
LillieHenry
Samantha Lisic Designs
Organized Stickers
Hello Ashleyann

Do you have any favorite Etsy Shops that I need to know about?
 

Planner Storage Solution!

Storing my stickers, extra washi and other planner accessories has been somewhat of a challenge.  I've been accumulating quite the collection and wanted to find a way to keep everything organized and together. Often times, when doing my weekly planning prep I bring all my supplies from my office into the living room and watch TV while setting my week up.  I wanted something that would store all my supplies, but also be super easy to transport since I knew I would be going from room to room with it.  I finally found the perfect solution the other day while I was at Michael's.  I got this double layer plastic storage bin on sale for $12.99, originally $29.99.  What I love about this storage bin is that the top layer is big enough for scrapbook paper, punches and for holding my mini file folders that hold all my stickers.  The bottle layer comfortably holds the extra washi that I don't currently store on my desk in my washi holder.  It also holds some post-it notes, colorful paperclips, washi swap samples and my coil clips. 

The storage container that I purchased is made by{Recollections}however, it does not seem to be listed online.  Here is a storage solution that is similar to the one I am currently using.   

This is what the container looks like when it is all sealed up. 

 

The top layer is removable and is shown on the right.  The bottom layer, shown on the left, has removable dividers so that you can section off any sized compartment that you want. 

 

 

This is the top section were I keep my extra stickers, perpetual planner {which I'm not currently using} and my Project Life cards.  I keep most of my extra stickers in small accordion file folders that are about 2 inches thick.  These are an awesome way to keep everything together and neat. 

 

The bottom layer is where I'm storing my extra washi and other random planner related accessories.  I'm not using the dividers to keep my washi secure so they're just kept at the back until I need to fill that space with other items. 

 

This was a great purchase for my planner items.  I can grab it and my Orla Kiely case and have everything I need for my weekly planning sessions. 

Washi Stickers and Squares

I love to highlight events in my {Erin Condren Life Planner} and was using washi squares and shapes to add color and make certain events *POP*. 

I had been buying the shapes and squares off of Etsy but while I was on vacation I found some 6X6 adhesive washi squares by We R Memory Keepers (Find them here! )This meant that I could use a punch and cutter and make my own!

I didn't think to look for punches while I was away and am regretting that now.  The only punch that I can find locally is a one-inch scalloped circle.  This means that I'm scouring the internet trying to find the coveted flag and bracket punches. 

The punch that I did end up buying is by Martha Stewart.  I found it at my local Michaels for $16.99. 
 

You can see the scalloped circle punch in the above picture and find a link to it here. 

 

All I did to make the washi scalloped circles was use my punch on the adhesive washi sheets.  I ended up punching out an entire pad of the We R Memory Keepers Adhesive Washi in the process.  I had purchased two different designs in the adhesive washi while I was on vacation and felt that the bold colors and less patterned washi was the best choice to punch as I plan on writing on the circles. While punching, I made sure to keep my circles as close together as possible so that I could make sure I got as many circles as possible.  In the end I ended up with very little waste.   

 

Some of the finished product!

 

Making the washi squares was a bit more work.  To do this, I again used a We R Memory Keepers Adhesive Washi pad.  I also grabbed a pair of scissors, a pencil, a permanent marker, a ruler and my paper cutter.  The paper cutter that I have was purchased at Winners for $9.99.  It is the first one I have purchased and bought it just for this project.  I wanted to make sure that I liked using a paper cutter before I went out and bought myself a really nice one.  I must say, this particular paper cutter did the trick nicely!  You can find paper cutters at your local craft store, such as Michael's, or here and here. 

Once I had all the supplies I needed, I put on a movie, sat down and got to work.  I began by measuring the weekly squares in my {Erin Condren Life Planner}.  I jotted down my measurements and also made indications on my ruler of the height and width of the boxes with a permanent marker.  This ruler was a spare from back in my high-school days so I wasn't too attached to it and didn't worry about ruining it. 

The paper cutter that I purchased had black lines and black ruler markings making it very hard to use it to measure and cut anything without pre-marking it.  If I had of had a different paper cutter I would simply have used the attached ruler to cut the washi paper into the desired sizes without having to do an extra step. Because I didn't trust my eyes and that ruler together I decided it was safer to take the long way and mark every sheet of washi individually.  This was a bit time consuming, but I wanted to make sure that I got my measurements correct and that I didn't waste a pad of washi that I spend a good chunk of my vacation hunting craft stores for. 

I used my ruler to mark out a height and width grid on each piece of washi.  It looked a little something like this:

Each 6x6 washi sheet gave me 12 washi squares.  It also gave me 4 smaller washi rectangles that will also be put to good use in my planner!

 

Next, I used my paper cutter to easily cut along the lines on my washi sheet.  This part of the process went very quickly since I had already measured everything out.  I was even able to stack multiple pieces together and cut them together to reduce my time even more. I kept my scissors on hand for those times when my paper cutter missed a piece.   

 

 

 

In the end, I ended up with 24 washi squares in each color and 8 of the smaller rectangles in each color as well. 

 

I just finished this project so they're not shown in my current weekly spread but I did stick some on my birthday as I knew I'd want to highlight that in my planner.

 

 

I typically use washi tape to cover the morning/day/night sections of the weekly spread.  It'll be nice to have more color to play with in my planner as I tend to keep it relatively simple and functional.  Do you use washi squares or punched shapes in your planner?  I'd love to see how you use it.  You can follow me on Instagram to see how I'm using my new washi!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Five Things Friday

Here is another round of {Five Things Friday}.  Here's what I'm loving this week:

Two   Three   Four      

One: Washi! I've been using more washi than normal this week and am loving the way it looks in my planner! Keep your eyes on my Instagram to see how I'm using it and all the new designs I've gotten recently.  (@wheelhouseblog)

Two: {The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard}.  Since I finished Respiratory Therapy school two months ago I have had so much more spare time and have been enjoying reading anything but textbooks!  This is another great summer read.  It's about a murder in a small town and how its ripples affect several generations.  Great read and a good twist. 

Three: I am LOVING these mason jar stickers by mambiSTICKS.  I plan on using them to track my weight loss.  Look for a blog post soon!

Four: Pico de Gallo! This stuff is addicting.  There is a woman at our local farmer's market that makes it and when she see's me walk up she pulls out three containers without even asking what I want.  It's a bit ridiculous.  Because I work shift work and the market is only on weekends, I started making my own for those times I can't get to the market.  It's really easy to make and is delicious with corn chips! Click on the link above for the recipe I use.

Five: {Starbucks Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino}.  I know I mentioned the words "weight loss" but for those hot days when I'm dying for something cold and coffee this is my current go-to.  I love coffee in all forms and am a sucker for Starbucks.  This Frappuccino is delicious and tastes exactly like caramel. 

How I Store my Everyday {Life Planner} Essentials

I don't know about you guys but I never know where my day is going to take me.  I often get called to see if I can pick up a shift at the hospital and I'm not always at home when that happens.  I carry my {Erin Condren Life Planner} with me in my purse so that if I need to check my schedule I can. 

I also like to carry some of my {Life Planner} supplies with me.  Often times I will grab a coffee at Starbucks and sit and plan my week.  Because I'm on the go a lot it's been really nice to keep a few essential supplies on hand.  I wanted to find a way to keep these supplies organized while on-the-go and I'm pretty happy with what I've come up with. 

This is the {Orla Kiely Garden Beauty Organizer} from Target.

Find My Organizer Here

 

Inside the organizer there is a mesh, zipped section in the middle that I use to hold my pens, markers and pencils.  This section flips from one side to the other making it easy to get whatever you need out of the organizer. 

 

 

To the left side of the organizer there is another zippered mesh pocket.  This is where I store my Post-it notes, flags and stickers that I use in my {Life Planner}.  You could store your pens in here as well but I found that it was a tight fit and I couldn't access them as easily as I wanted to. 

 

To the right of the organizer there are three small sewn pockets with open tops to store items.  This is where I keep my washi stickers, washi squares, pencil lead and one full roll of washi.  I keep all of my loose washi in small plastic bags so that they're easy to retrieve and not making a big mess in my organizer. 

 
I paid $16.99 for this organizer and so far I am loving it! I like the pattern and that it's small enough to throw in my bag, yet it holds everything I need to work on my planner on-the-go. 
 
Now for a peak at what's inside my organizer!

My Stickers/Flags/Post-Its:

 

 

My Washi Shapes/Washi Squares/Flags and Reminders:

** I made these awesome scalloped washi circles... look for a post on that soon!

 

 My Pens/Pencils/Staedtler's:

 

 

 What do you use to store your planner supplies?  I'd love to see!

Five Things Friday!

 

A couple of my favorite blogs have a weekly post that I thought I would try out.  Five Things Friday! These are things that I'm loving/crushing on/fawning over/obsessed with or things that are just making me happy at the moment.  Look for this post every Friday!

 

 

Two. Three.  Four. Five.

 

One: My husband, Adam. This guy and I just celebrated our seconds wedding anniversary last week and this morning I dropped him off at the airport.  He`s headed to Nunavut for SIX WEEKS.  I can't say that I'm very thrilled about it but it's always a great working experience for him when he goes up North.  This guy is the best. Seriously.  He puts up with all my shenanigans and doesn't even bat an eyelash.  I'm counting down the minutes until he's home and he only left this morning. 

 

Two:  Sperry Biscayne Top-Sider Anchor Boat Shoes.  Just got these this past weekend while we were on vacation and I LOVE them.  They're my first pair of Sperry's and they won't be my last. 

 

Three: On The Island by Tracey Garvis Graves.  This is one of my all time favorite summer reads.  It's about two people who's plane crash lands in the Maldives.  They are stranded on the island and the book is about their time on the island and the aftermath of the crash.  Great summer beach read. If you like it Graves also has a novella based on the same characters.

 

Four:  We R Memory Keepers 6x6 Washi Sheet Pads.  These are the best thing ever in my opinion.  Instead of being a roll of washi it's a sheet, much like scrapbook paper.  This means that I can punch or cut any shapes/sizes that I want.  I was ordering shapes and squares off of Etsy but it's so much more convenient to be able to immediately have the shapes and sizes that you want.  Look for a review of the sheets on the blog soon!

 

Five: The Other Woman starring Cameron Diaz, Nicki Minaj, Kate Upton, Leslie Mann and more! This was a great romantic comedy and it comes out on DVD and Blu-Ray on Tuesday.  I saw it in the theatre and can't wait to see it again. 

 

Check out the links below the picture to find my Five Things (except my husband that is, he's mine). 

Review: Stackable Washi Dispenser

Ever since I purchased an Erin Condren Life Planner I have been buying washi tape like crazy! I use it to decorate my planner, to secure to-do lists/grocery lists onto my weekly planner pages and to track my work schedule and vacation.

Keeping it organized has become somewhat of a problem.  I had it all stashed in a clear plastic container but my collection soon outgrew that and it was hard to see what colors and designs I had. 

 

Last night my husband and I took an impromptu trip to our local Michael`s to kill some time before meeting friends for supper and we found this gem:

 

 

A {We R Memory Makers} Stackable Washi Dispenser. 

 

It was $29.99 and I just happened to have a 40% off coupon and a 25% off total purchase coupon. 

 

 

The dispenser has a foam bottom so that it won't scratch your furniture.  It is also on a turntable so you can rotate it to easily access whatever washi you want. 

 

Finally, you can stack multiple dispensers on top of one another to store even more washi.  I have 22 rolls of my favorite washi on this dispenser and plan to pick up another one so that I can stack and store even more. The washi rolls easily on the holding wheel and the sharp edge cuts the washi perfectly for easy washi application.  I didn't have to struggle with it at all.  You may notice that there are some small storage areas near the tape cutting edge and between each washi section.  On the package they have paperclips and buttons stored here!

 

I would {absolutely recommend} this purchase to anyone looking to store and use their washi more efficiently!